I wanted to try carving something out of wood, and this is the result of my first attempt. I took a discarded christmas tree (drying for about 3 years), used my dremel (with many different tips) and just went at it without a clue what I was going to make. Slowly this dragon took shape. The tree trunk still had a big hole at the bottom where the stand kept the tree in place, so I worked around that by twisting the neck right around it. The eyes were provided by my girlfriend who has an enormous collection of beads. They fit perfectly. The entire staff is about 5 feet tall. This became a Christmas present for my nephew. Completed I believe in 2005.